Steerina-coi



Reissued July 9, 1929.

I Rs. 11,312 PATENT OFFICE.

UNITED STATES FBEDO. MORRIS, OF SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA.

STEERING-COLUMN BUSHING.

Original No. 1,679,941, dated August f7, 1928, Serial No. 241,520, filed December 21, 1927. Application for reissue filed November 1, 1928. Serial No. 316,561.

This invention relates to an anti-rattling bushing for steering columns of motor cars of various types, and its object is to prevent the hammering out of such bushings as well v the rotation of the shaft itself. Various types of bushings have been produced to avoid this hammering action, but a number have defects.

which this type of bushing corrects.

One object of the invention is to provide a rubber cushion bearing for the shaft, which will prevent hammering, and to provide that rubber cushion of such a shape as to prevent it from contat-ting with'the shaft, as well as to cause it to direct any oil that may be poured into the shaft bearing to the proper place rather than to run down on the rubber .androt it out.

Another object of the invention is to produce a bushing which can be easily assembled,

no vulcanization of the bushing on the rigid steel or metal foundation being necessary, the metal foundation having its surface knurled both inside and outside to cause the com-' pressed fabric bushing used inside/1t,- and the rubber cushion outside the same to cling thereto securely.

Another object of the invention is to make use of a fabric which compressed to such has been hydraulically an extent that it cannot be compressed any further, for if the wearing surface of the bushing is of substantially incompressible fabric it will be just large enough to'slip' the steering column shaft, therethrough without in any way ex anding upon the fabric, and thereby inter with its rotation. e,

'Another ob'ect of the invention is to provide a soft rubber outer cover for themetaL lic part. of the bushing which will have its "inner portion so beveled that it will direct any oil oured into the bushing to the bearing sur ace, and said rubber bushing will be molded smallenough so that it will tightly {hold on the knurled outside of the metal bushing and cannot easily be dislodged therefor. the outside of the actual therein without disp acement;

Other objects of the invention will be apparent as the description proceeds.

An embodiment of the invention is shown in the accompanying drawings in which the same reference numeral is applied to the same portion throughout the several figures of the drawings, and of whichthere may be modifications.

Figure 1 is a side elevation of the metal pressible lubricated fabric used inside the metal bushing, and

Figure 4 is a side elevation of the complete bushing, a portion broken away to show one side section. i V

The numeral 1 indicates the foundation of the bushing, and it consists ofa metal sleeve of suitable thickness knurled both inside and outside to hold the other two parts against displacement. The numeral 2 indicates a compressed fabric bushing which has a small percentage of graphite worked into the same during its construction, and which is produccd under hydraulic pressure so great as to make the sleeve incompressible .upon its completion. This sleeve is then tightly forced into the bushing 1 andbecause of the roughness of said bushin will retain its place Thenumeral 3 indicates the outer softer rubber covering forthe bushing 1. This covering is for the purpose of giving the necessary deadening effect to the hammer- .ing of the steering shaft on the bearing supporting it. It is provided with two inturned beveled flanges as indicated at '4 and 5 which ,flanges reach over on the incompressibleifabric bushing 2 to within about one-sixteenth In actual practice the rubber bushing 3 105 made slightly smaller in diameter than the bushing 1, the object being to cause it and'itsof an inch of the movable shaft so that if any 1 0 oil is dropped on the shaft it will besure to flanges 4 and 5'to tightly grip the bushingl.

In the present construction advantage is taken of the forcing of the bushing2 into the opening therethrough is made about 3/1000 larger than the shaft with which it is used so that the shaft is perfectly free to rotate there in with substantially no friction due to expansion of the compressed fabric.

Having thus described my invention,.what I desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is as follows, but modifications a rigid metallic sleeve, a fabric cover for one may be made in carrying out the invention as shown in the drawings and in the above particularly described form thereof, within the purview of the annexed claims.

What I claim is 1. A bushing for motor car steering wheels comprising a bushing knurled inside and outside, a fabric bushing within the knurled bushing, and a rubber covering for the knurled bushing.

2. A bushing for motor car steering gears comprising aknurled metallic bushing, a substantially incompressible fabric bushing forced into the knurled bushing, and a rubber bushing encompassing the knurled bushing, and a portion of the ends of the fabric bushmg.

3. A bushing for motor car steering gears comprising a knurled metallic bushing, a fabric bushing forced into the knurled bushing, and a rubber bushing tightly encompassing the knurled bushing, a portion of the rubber bushing extending over the ends of the other two bushings. 1

4. A bushing comprising, in combination, a rigid shape maintaining shell provided with a roughened surface, a fabric shell overlying said surface and fixed relative thereto, and a soft rubber shell overlying and fixed to that surface of said rigid shell opposite to that to which said fabric shell is fixed.

5. A bushing comprising, in combination, a

\ rigid shape maintaining shell provided with a rough surface, a soft rubber shell overlying said surface and fixed relative thereto, anda fabric shell overlying and fixed to that surface of said rigid shell opposite to the surface to which said rubber shell is fixed.

6. A bushing comprising, in combination, a rigid shape maintaining shell provided with roughened inner and outer surfaces, a fabric shell fixed relative to one of said surfaces, and

a soft rubber shellfixedrelativeto the other of said surfaces.

7. A bushing comprising a rigid metallicsleeve provided with a fabric lining and a soft rubber covering. t

8. A bushing comprising, incombination,

a rigid metallic sleeve, a fabric sleeve secured thereto interiorly thereof, and a soft rubber sleeve secured to said metallic sleeve'exterior- 1y thereof.

9. A bushing comprising, in combination,

a rigid shape maintaining portion, a fibrous bearing portion secured thereto, and a res1l1- ent cushioning portion secured. to said rigid portion on the surface thereof opposite to that to which said fibrous portion is secured.

11. A bushing comprising, 1n combination, a rigid shape maintaining sleeve lined with fabric and covered by a shell-of soft rubber; an end of said bushing being beveled whereby when said bushingis disposed with its axis at an'angle to the horizontal and with said beveled surface uppermost, oil draining 'onto said beveled surface will bedirected into contact with said fabric.

. 12. In a bushing, in combination, a rigid shape maintaining shell, a fabric bearing liner for said shell extending radially inwardly beyond all parts of said shell, and a rubber cover for said shell extending radially outwardly beyond all parts of said shell.

v 13. A bushing comprising a rigid shape maintaining shell completely insulated interiorly and externally by a nonrigid material,

said material on one side of said shell com prising a bearing fabric, and sald material on the other side of-said shell comprising soft rubber.

- FRED o. MORRIS. 

